How to store your old and new media

Note: Information provided below covers basic consumer questions. It does not provide in-depth
details on more stringent practices we would provide to our corporate clients with media archives.

First, some thoughts on the digital age....
Past generations of audiovisual media have had a unique, robust quality that helped enable its
longevity. Decay of older media formats was slow. Damage to media most often meant repair
or removal of the damaged portion, or just playing through to the undamaged portion. Since old
media formats were tangible objects, they were not as easily lost or misplaced.

With conversion of old analog media to modern formats and newly produced media, more and
more media now rests in the digital age. Digital media is easier to play, view and share. It is
not prone to typical deterioration. With these benefits we must be mindful to the fragility of the
digital medium. As technology advances, hard drives get bigger and less expensive allowing
for more data to be stored in the same place, more of which can all be lost in the blink of an
eye. Files can be overwritten, changed, reformatted or erased with a simple error of a
mouse-click or intrusion of a computer virus. Files are lost in cyberspace much easier than
their "hardcopy" tangible predecessors. Digital disk media varies greatly in quality and
reliability from manufacturer to manufacturer and can be easily scratched, cracked, improperly
handled or mislabeled, rendering the entire disk (not just the damaged portion) unplayable.

We are presented with the possibility of loosing more media history in the short period
of our current generation, than has been lost with the slow decay of 100 years of media
history on more tangible, robust, formats of the past. Proper planning, backup, storage,
migration and conservation are the keys to preserving new media in this digital age.

How do I store my media until I'm ready to transfer it?
First, inspect your media. Movie film, slide/transparency film, photo negatives and some
audiotape can take on "Vinegar Syndrome", most often identified by a faint to strong, vinegar
odor. Film, photos, slides, disk recordings, videotape and audiotape can all be contaminated
by fungus (including mold and mildew). Videotape and audiotape can take on too much
moisture which can break down the tape through hydrolysis ("sticky tape syndrome"). Another
serious tape breakdown is flaking. If you find any of the above issues, call us immediately to
have us examine your media. Some fungus types can be very hazardous to your health.

Remove any media stored in your attic or basement (even in a finished basement). Store your
media in a first floor closet or bedroom where temperature and humidity swings are less.
Media should be allowed to breathe. Do not store your media in zip-lock bags, Tupperware
tubs, metal film tins or other air-tight containers. Keep magnetic media such as videotape,
audiotape and magnetic stripped sound movie film away from electronic devices such as TV's,
stereo equipment, power outlets or speakers. Film and photographic materials should be
stored in a dark environment to keep them from fading. Always wash your hands first before
handling slides or photos. Photographs should not come in contact with acid based paper or
strong smelling clear plastic covers such as PVC found in many inexpensive photo albums. If
you own vinyl records, store them upright with support on both ends so that they will not warp.
Do not expose old records to any liquid cleaning solution. Some older records can be
damaged when they come in contact with liquid. If you would like more information on proper
storage conditions for a specific media, please contact us.

How do I prepare for transfer of my memories?
Have as much detail possible noted on your media. Titles, dates, and subject matter of each
piece help us to organize your media transfer easier. Put your media in the order you want to
see it after transfer. If you write on the back of a photo, lightly use a graphite pencil. Photos
and slides should all be numbered in the order you want them scanned. We very strongly
urge you not to run movie film, videotapes or audiotapes to identify them on an old
player uless it has been serviced recently by a professional. An old playback unit can
cause irreversible damage and render your media unable to be transferred. If you are
unsure of the date or subject matter, it can be labeled after transfer.

What do I do with my old media after it is transferred?
We highly recommend keeping your old media for as long as possible. This is especially true
if you might have future plans to use some of your media for a special purpose and you may
need to reconvert to a different format or size than what you had originally requested. We are
happy to give you guidance on the proper storage conditions for your type of original media. If
you insist on not storing your original media, at the very least, store your old media until you
have had the chance to review your new converted media to insure that everything has been
transferred to your satisfaction and ONLY if you have had proper backup media made.

After my material is transferred, how do I store my digital media?
Store any digital media disks (CD or DVD) vertically in the cases we provide. We highly
recommend that you have us make a backup disk for each master as a simple scratch can
render disk media unplayable. If you request backup media in envelopes, store them in proper
archival cardboard or plastic media storage cases. Store backup media in a different location
than the master, preferably in a different building. Store all digital disks away from direct
sunlight as UV rays can break down the recorded dye layers of digital media disks. Do not
label your digital media disk with adhesive labels or permanent markers. Both cause problems
down the road. If you have to, any additional labeling should be made with markers expressly
made for this purpose. Take care in handling your disk media. Never touch the underside
where the data is read from. Avoid cleaning disk media unless you know what you're doing.

If you are storing your media in digital file format on computer hard drive, make sure to back
up these files often to another drive or other storage media. Insure that the backup method
(and any disk maintenance software) does not compress or alter the original files. If your
redundant backup is another drive, it is best to power down this drive and disconnect it from
your network when not in use. Insure that your network is safeguarded from computer viruses.
A UPS will help protect you from some power issues that can damage your computer and
backup drive. If you leave town, disconnect your backup drive and move it off site. These are
the basics to proper drive backup. All of the details and methods are too numerous to outline
here. Consult with us to review your best options based on your individual needs.

How long will my digital media last?
Since writable disk media has only been around since the mid 1990's, no-one knows for sure!
Much will depend on how you label, store and handle your disk media. It also is important to
insure that the disk media is manufactured by a reliable source. Even the well-known
manufacturers can subcontract out disk production. Without special programs made to find
the true manufacturing source, even professional conversion companies quite often use disks
that are inferior. In general, when using quality name brand media and following proper storage
conditions as outlined above, CD-R disks have a conservative estimated lifespan of 10+ years
and DVD-R media of 20+ years. Very conservative consumer clients will elect to have either a
new redundant disk media backup made every five to six years and rotate the oldest backup
out or store the same files on a different storage medium such as computer hard drive.
Corporate-client needs will be more stringent and vary widely. Each media library should be
assessed and addressed on an individual, case by case basis.

Media Transfer Service LLC. Rochester, NY . Phone: 585-248-4908 . Email: info@mediatransferservice.com